“We search the internet everyday looking for the very best of What’s Happening, primarily on Manhattan’s WestSide, so that you don’t have to.” We make it as easy as 1-2-3.

For future NYC Events be sure to check the tab above: “Notable NYC Events-July”
It’s the most comprehensive list of top events this month that you’ll find anywhere.

Have time for only one NYC Event today? Do this:

YO LA TENGO AND ULTIMATE PAINTINGat Rumsey Playfield, Central Park / 6PM, FREE
“This free SummerStage show unites two groups that share a spiritual kinship — despite having origins separated by three decades and an ocean. The Hoboken, N.J., band Yo La Tengo helped invent indie rock as we now know it starting in the late 1980s, making a long string of cult-favorite albums that emphasize subtle guitar hues and dreamy noise. The London-based duo Ultimate Painting, which began in 2014, is one of that sound’s premier latter-day proponents, and a perfect opening act.” (SIMON VOZICK-LEVINSON-NYT)

Conrad Herwig’s “Latin Side Of…” (July 13-18.)Jazz Standard, 116 E. 27th St./ 7:30PM, +9:30PM, $30
“In the view of the trombonist Herwig, applying Latin rhythms and tonal coloring to any great jazz composition can only add lustre. In the course of a compact engagement, Herwig and company will spice up the iconic work of Joe Henderson, Miles Davis, Horace Silver, Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, and John Coltrane.” (NewYorker)

Meow Meow(also July 18)Joe’s Pub at the Public Theater / 9:30PM, $30
“The deliciously deranged postmodern diva Meow Meow, who has bewitched and bewildered audiences the world over, drags cabaret kicking and screaming into the 21st century. From the moment she enters—a vision of frazzled glamour, faintly annoyed—she is on the offensive: badgering the audience into applause, vamping the crowd with her magnetic jadedness. Meow’s parody of glitz is part of a package that also includes physical comedy, social commentary and a brilliantly eclectic polyglot repertoire, with a special affinity for the songs of Bertolt Brecht and Kurt Weill.” (TONY)

Jake Hinkson, The Blind AlleyBryant Park Reading Room
Between 40th & 42nd Sts. and Fifth and Sixth Aves./ 12:30PM, FREE
“​Join film connoisseur Scott Adlerberg and special guests for talks on film, the culture of cinema and filmmaking.”
Jake Hinkson, The Blind Alley
Hosted by Scott Adlerberg, resident film expert; part of the Reel Talks program.

Seaport Food Lab203 Front St., various times, prices vary
“What would it take to get you down to the South Street Seaport, a place overrun by tourists, during the heart of summer? The promise of some of the coun- try’s best chefs popping up for two-week residencies might do the trick. Through Friday, July 21, the Seaport Food Lab will be serving Top Chef judge Hugh Acheson’s take on Southern cuisine; Alon Shaya, of the New Orleans restaurants Domenica, Pizza Domenica, and Shaya, then takes over for the July 30–Au- gust 12 slot. Those who’ve become enamored of L.A. cuisine via Instagram will be thrilled to know that Jessica Koslow, of the revered Sqirl, is at the helm from August 20 to September 2, before local stars Dale Talde (September 10–23) and Wylie Dufresne (September 29–October 11) work their shifts. Each chef has a distinctive style; tickets for the individual stints will be doled out incrementally on Resy.” (Alicia Kennedy, VillageVoice)

A Field Guide to Long Island SoundMid-Manhattan Library, 455 Fifth Ave./ 6:30PM, FREE
With Patrick Lynch, author, illustrator, photographer, and designer.
“This illustrated lecture introduces the audience to the rich natural history of Long Island Sound and its New York and Connecticut coastlines.”

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Let’s not forget this marvelous continuing event:

‘THE ART OF WATCHES’
“Swiss watchmaker Patek Philippe has been practicing its art and science for 178 years. Now, visitors can immerse themselves in the past and present of the company’s timekeeping traditions with historical timepieces ­­ such as the astronomical pocket watch, pictured ­­ and their contemporary counterparts. The exhibition inhabits several rooms of a two­ story structure set up within Cipriani specifically for the occasion.” (STAV ZIV, Newsday)
WHEN | WHERE Thursday, July 13, thru July 23 at Cipriani 42nd Street, 110 E. 42nd St.
INFO FREE; 212-­218-­1240, patek.com

=====================================================Bonus NYC events– Jazz Venues:
Many consider NYCity the Jazz capital of the world. Here are my favorite Jazz clubs, all on Manhattan’s WestSide. Check out who is playing tonight:

Special Mention:Caffe Vivaldi – 32 Jones St. nr Bleecker St. — caffevivaldi.com / 212-691-7538
a classic, old jazz club in the Village, Caffe V often surprises with a wonderfully eclectic lineup. It’s my favorite spot for an evening of listening enjoyment and discovery.

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♦ Before making final plans, we suggest you call the venue to confirm ticket availability, dates and times, as schedules are subject to change.
♦ NYCity, with a population of 8.5 million, had a record 60 million visitors last year and was TripAdvisor’s Traveler’s Choice Top U.S. Destination for 2017. Quality shows draw crowds.
Try to reserve seats for these top NYC events in advance, even if just on day of performance.

NYCity Vacation Travel Guide Video (Expedia):

Chelsea Art Gallery District*

Chelsea is the heart of the NYCity contemporary art scene. Home to more than 300 art galleries, the Rubin Museum, the Joyce Theater and The Kitchen performance spaces, there is no place like it anywhere in the world. Come here to browse free exhibitions by world-renowned artists and those unknowns waiting to be discovered in an art district that is concentrated between West 18th and West 27th Streets, and 10th and 11th Avenues. Afterwards stop in the Chelsea Market, stroll on the High Line, or rest up at one of the many cafes and bars and discuss the fine art.

Here are two exhibitions the New Yorker really likes:

Meschac Gaba (through July 28)Bonakdar, 521 W. 21st St. / Chelsea
“The tent that opens this transfixing show is deceptively cheery: it may be stocked with paper and colored pencils, but it was inspired by the global refugee crisis. Gaba, who divides his time between Holland and his native Benin, made it from fabric printed with a candy-stripe pattern he calls Citoyen du Monde (Citizen of the World); the stripes are actually elongated versions of the flags of many nations. Elsewhere, thirteen elaborately braided sculptures assume the shapes of national landmarks in Washington, D.C. (The White House is now red, black, and gold.) In a related short video, Gaba leads a small parade through the dusty streets of Cotonou, Benin—the participants wear his objects like crowns, as if to lampoon U.S. imperialism.”

“Cells” (Jun. 28-Aug. 11)Boesky, 509 W. 24th St./ Chelsea
“This ten-person show of works that flirt with functionality is as fun as a visit to Pee-wee’s Playhouse. The splendidly weird designs of the Haas Brothers include several “Zoidberg lamps,” silver-plated fixtures ringed with bulbous protuberances reminiscent of their namesake, a crustaceanlike alien on the cult T.V. show “Futurama.” Jessica Jackson Hutchins’s low ceramic tables are simultaneously heavy, delicate, busy, minimal, and unstable. Jackie Brookner contributes wooden seating, coated with crusts of black earth and sporting red-velvet tongues. A ten-foot-wide cotton embroidery by Cosima von Bonin, which involves a cigarette smoker, a cartoonish critter, and disembodied white gloves, hangs on the wall like a quilt awaiting a wild night’s sleep.”

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For a listing of 25 essential galleries in the Chelsea Art Gallery District, organized by street, which enables you to create your own Chelsea Art Gallery crawl, see the Chelsea Gallery Guide (nycgo.com) Or check out TONY magazine’s list of the “Best Chelsea Galleries” and click through to see what’s on view.

*Now plan your own gallery crawl, but better to plan your visits for Tuesday through Saturday; most galleries are closed Sunday and Monday.

TIP: After your gallery tour, stop in Ovest at 513W27th St. for Aperitivo Italiano (Happy Hour on steroids). Discuss all the great art you have viewed over a drink and a very tasty selection of FREE appetizers (M-F, 5-8pm). OR try the NYT recommendation: “When you’re done, adjourn to the newly renovated Bottino , the Chelsea art world’s unofficial canteen on 10th Avenue (btw 24/25 St.) “

=======================================================For other selected Museum and Gallery Special Exhibitions see recent posts in right sidebar dated 07/15 and 07/13.